Uplifting Black South Africans after centuries of colonial oppression was one of the primary goals of the BCM. According to Biko, the Father of Black Consciousness, ending self-hatred was the first step to achieving emancipation. Through embracing and celebrating Black history, culture, and identity, Biko believed that Black South Africans could form a united front and achieve lasting social and political emancipation.

Pride in Blackness eroded as white colonizers imposed their culture on indigenous populations. The church became a prime instrument of cultural domination, with missionaries spreading a rigid form of Christianity that emphasized self-blame and sin. Acculturation also manifested itself linguistically with the imposition of English and Afrikaans as South Africa’s two official languages. Acculturation also appeared in various customs, including forms of dress and social etiquette.

Centuries of colonialism in South Africa entrenched cultural hierarchies, with “superior” Anglo-Boer culture dominating “inferior” African culture. Indeed, African culture became synonymous with barbarism. Furthermore, it became common to refer to Africa as the “dark continent,” casting it as a backward place to justify colonialism. Precolonial religious beliefs were dismissed as superstition. Moreover, the history of Africa was reduced to internecine wars and tribal conflicts. For Biko, these negative views of African culture deeply impacted Black people’s self-esteem: “No wonder the African child learns to hate his heritage in his days at school.